Vehicle vision system with enhanced display functions

ABSTRACT

A vision system for a vehicle includes at least one image sensor, a control and a display. The image sensor is disposed at a subject vehicle and has a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The control, at least in part responsive to image processing of image data captured by the image sensor, is operable to generate an avatar representative of at least one object or scene segment in the field of view of the image sensor. The display is operable to display the avatar. The vision system may display an avatar that is a representation of an object that is only partially viewed by the image sensor to enhance the display for viewing and understanding by the driver of the subject vehicle, and a portion of the avatar representing the non-viewed portion of the object may be displayed in phantom.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/082,573, filed Nov. 18, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,743,002, whichclaims the filing benefits of U.S. provisional application Ser. No.61/727,912, filed Nov. 19, 2012, which is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to vehicles with cameras mounted thereonand in particular to vehicles with exterior-facing cameras, such asforward facing cameras and/or sideward facing cameras and/or rearwardfacing cameras.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Use of imaging sensors in vehicle imaging systems is common and known.Examples of such known systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,949,331; 5,670,935; and/or 5,550,677, which are hereby incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a vision system that utilizes one or morecameras or image sensors to capture image data of a scene exterior (suchas forwardly) of a vehicle and provides a display of images indicativeof or representative of the captured image data. The system of thepresent invention processes the image data and reproduces the images asavatars or virtual representations of the actual or real objects andscene present in the field of view of the camera or cameras of thevision system. The system of the present invention thus may provide anenhanced display of images in a high resolution manner and may provideenhanced texturing and coloring of the displayed images, while utilizinglower resolution cameras and/or reduced image processing devices and/ortechniques. Optionally, the system may produce or create a full image ofan object that is only partially present in the field of view of thecamera, in order to enhance the display for viewing and understanding bythe driver of the vehicle.

The present invention provides a vision system for a vehicle thatincludes at least one image sensor disposed at a subject vehicle andhaving a field of view exterior of the vehicle. A control, at least inpart responsive to said image sensor, is operable to generate an avatarrepresentative of at least one object or scene segment in the field ofview of the image sensor. The vision system includes a display fordisplaying the avatar for viewing by a driver of the subject vehicle.

Optionally, the at least one image sensor may comprise a forward facingcamera disposed at the subject vehicle. Optionally, the vision system isoperable to display an avatar that is a substantial representation of anobject that is only partially viewed by the image sensor to enhance thedisplay for viewing and understanding by the driver of the subjectvehicle. For example, the control may generate the avatar so that aportion of the displayed avatar representing a portion of the object isdisplayed as a phantom image to represent that viewing of that portionof the object by the image sensor is partially obstructed. Optionally,the control may generate the avatar so that a portion of the displayedavatar representing a portion of the object that is outside of the fieldof view of the image sensor is displayed as a phantom image.

Optionally, the control may generate the avatar with an imitatedtexture. Optionally, the control may be operable to determine objects atleast partially present in the field of view of the image sensor and thecontrol may deemphasize objects that are determined to be less importantto the driver of the vehicle during a driving maneuver. For example, thecontrol may deemphasize objects by at least partially removing theobjects from the displayed image.

These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of thepresent invention will become apparent upon review of the followingspecification in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle with a vision system and imagingsensors or cameras that provide exterior fields of view in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a vehicle having a vision system in accordancewith the present invention, shown with the vehicle following othervehicles on the road;

FIG. 3 is a view of an image captured by a forward facing camera of thesubject vehicle;

FIG. 4 is a view of an augmented image captured by the forward facingcamera of the subject vehicle and augmented in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a vehicle that shows a virtual top view withareas marked 30 which are blurry due to high distortion or high distanceto the actual fish eye cameras which are providing the images of thefront, rear and side regions, which are morphed and stitched as oneimage, and with the less blurry areas marked 31; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a vehicle that shows a virtual top view inaccordance with the present invention, shown with the ground texturebeing mapped as being comparably sharp in all areas around the vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depictedtherein, a vehicle 10 includes an imaging system or vision system 12that includes one or more imaging sensors or cameras (such as a rearwardfacing imaging sensor or camera 14 a and/or a forwardly facing camera 14b at a front portion of the vehicle (or at the windshield of the vehicleand viewing through the windshield and forwardly of the vehicle), and/ora sidewardly/rearwardly facing camera 14 c, 14 b at the sides of thevehicle), which capture images exterior of the vehicle, with the camerashaving a lens for focusing images at or onto an imaging array or imagingplane of the camera (FIG. 1). The vision system 12 is operable toprocess image data captured by the cameras and may provide displayedimages at a display device 16 for viewing by the driver of the vehicle.Optionally, the vision system may process image data to detect objects,such as objects to the rear of the subject or equipped vehicle during areversing maneuver, or such as approaching or following vehicles orvehicles at a side lane adjacent to the subject or equipped vehicle orthe like.

Due to data loss and natural or artificial blurring along the imageprocessing chain, natural textures of the displayed environment are notreproduced in a satisfying manner unless very high resolution camerasare used. By the nature of the wide angle or fish eye lens typicallyused in automotive vision systems, especially for surround view visionsystems and the like, the resolution of textures off center is muchlower than at the center of the captured image (where the distortion dueto the wide angle lens is reduced). Because of this, the textures arenot reproduced evenly from the center to the farther edges when a topview is generated by image distortion and image stitching (see, forexample, FIG. 5). The problem becomes worse when there is datacompression and decompression within the image processing chain.

A solution of the present invention provides an augmented image orvirtual image or avatar to provide enhanced image processing and/ordisplay. Instead of generating an image in any kind of automotive view(front view, rear view, cross traffic view, surround view and/or thelike) by deskewing, cropping, distorting and stitching and employinghighly sophisticated brightness and color controls for the camerasubsequent image enhancement algorithm, the system of the presentinvention may generate the requested views as augmented reality imagereproductions.

It is easy to handle and achieve sharp, bright, unblurred images withoutglaring, halos or noise when all image components are fully computergenerated or augmented instead of using real images captured by cameras(in real time). The data amounts are small and the necessary computingpower and bandwidth demands are small or minimal. The key informationmay be easier and faster to perceive by a human eye/brain when lookingat an augmented images instead of a real image.

Augmented reality views in general may have been proposed for use inautomotive vision, and using overlays is already a kind of augmentedreality. Also, it may be already known to reduce the level of detailswhich become shown (at all) or highlighted as overlays and also to havesophisticated algorithms to prioritize which details may be chosen forshowing or highlighting.

The system of the present invention provides a method or means formapping textures, such as can be seen with reference to FIG. 6. Themethod will allow the vision system or manufacturer of the vehicle orvision system to employ preferably low level (such as lower resolution)cameras, system environment and algorithm in terms of low resolutionand/or low sensor performance and/or low lens quality and/or no or poorlevel of calibration procedures in use and/or data line bandwidth whileemploying high compression rates. The necessary resolution of a cameramay be about 1/10 of the typically used Megapixel cameras. The presentinvention uses the cameras just to capture the environment's shape andto detect the present features and textures type. The presented humanview then is an augmented reality according to the actively chosen viewwith imitated texture.

The view's structure may be quite similar to the usually employed views(such as a front view, rear view, cross traffic view, surround viewand/or the like), which are generatable out of the cameras' capturedimages, and/or there may also be artificial views which are unknown ortypically not used, since these were heretofore not directly produciblebased on the cameras' captured images or image data. For example avirtually elevated view point into the forward direction may be new,which may serve a better perceptibility, may be possible by augmentedview construction (such as, for example, as shown in FIG. 4).

As can be seen with reference to FIGS. 2-4, the subject vehicle 10 maybe following another vehicle 18 (such as the truck in FIGS. 2-4), whichmay in turn be following a third vehicle 20. As shown in FIG. 3, theview of the leading vehicle 20 (as viewed by the forward facing camera)may be partially obstructed or blocked by the second vehicle 18, wherebythe driver may not readily appreciate or discern the presence of theleading vehicle ahead of the second vehicle. As shown in FIG. 4, thesystem may generate a display whereby a portion 20 a of the leadingvehicle 20 may be shown in phantom (such as by using dashed or phantomlines or such as by using translucent coloring schemes or the like) sothat the driver can readily discern the presence of the leading vehicleahead of the vehicle that he or she is directly following. The visionsystem, via image processing of image data captured by the forwardfacing camera, may determine the presence of the leading vehicle (orother objects or vehicles that are only partially present in the fieldof view of the camera, either because the view of part of the object isobstructed or because part of the object is located outside of the fieldof view itself) and may determine or approximate the portion that ismissing or obstructed and may generate an avatar or approximation oranimation of the missing or obstructed portion of the object to enhancethe viewing and discernibility of that object to the driver that isviewing the displayed generated images on the display screen.

For example, if a portion of a vehicle is viewed by the camera (such asshown in FIG. 3), the system may detect the portion of the vehicle andmay (such as via image processing of image data captured by the camera)determine what the viewed portion is (such as a portion of a vehicle ora portion of a sign or a portion of a tree or other object) and,responsive to that determination, the system estimates or determineswhat the non-viewed portion may look like (such as via using a genericrepresentation, such as a generic vehicle for a determined partiallyhidden vehicle, or via an estimation based on the part of the vehicle orobject that is viewed by the camera). The system then generates anavatar or animation of the missing portion to fill in the parts that aremissing (and optionally, the system may generate an avatar or animationof the determined object or vehicle and overlay the avatar over theobject or vehicle, including the portion or portions of the object orvehicle that are viewed by the camera), and displays or overlays theavatar or animation onto displayed images. Optionally, the avatar oranimation may be generated as part of a heads up display so as to beprojected into the driver's field of view at a location thatapproximates where the driver's line of sight would be to the determinedobject or vehicle. The present invention thus provides an avatar oranimation of at least the missing portions of vehicles and/or objects inthe field of view of the vehicle camera (such as the forward viewingcamera as described above or such as a rearward or sideward viewingcamera, so as to assist the driver in reversing maneuvers and/or lanechange maneuvers or the like) to enhance the driver's viewing andunderstanding of the presence of objects or vehicles in the scene in thepath of travel of the vehicle.

It is known to use the likes of a rearward facing video camera and/orother exterior viewing cameras to capture video images of scenes/objectsexterior the vehicle while the vehicle is, for example, traveling alonga highway or executing a backup maneuver or reversing into a parkingplace. Such systems provide video displays, often in color and in highdefinition, that display video images of what is seen and captured bythe automotive video cameras. It is left to the driver to view and toassimilate the video images being displayed to him or her in real time.Often, the driver is interested in an activity or an object or a portionof the videoed scene, and seeks to distinguish that sub-scene ofinterest from other vehicles and/or objects and/or items beingsimultaneously videoed. In this regard, the driver's task would be madeeasier if such non-critical and/or ancillary and/or extraneousitems/objects/scene portions were not present or at least had theirpresence removed or substantially removed or mitigated.

In accordance with the present invention, the video images captured bythe at least one automotive exterior viewing video camera are fed to,and are image processed by, an image processor (such as, for example, anEyeQ™ image processing chip available from Mobileye Vision TechnologiesLtd. of Jerusalem, Israel). In addition to detecting the presence andposition of a given object in the videoed scene, the image processorcreates an avatar or reproduction or simulation or virtual image of thegiven object. And the video image processor utilized, in whole or inpart, substitutes or replaces or overlays on the real time video imageof the subject object with the avatar simulation in such a manner thatenhances the driver's viewing and understanding of the imaged scene.Thus, non-critical vehicles or objects or road side scenery can bede-emphasized and/or removed so that video display emphasizes and/or isfocused on particular items or objects or scene segments of criticalityto the driver at any given moment in time. Thus, use of an avatar orincarnation or virtual reality image (comprising an electronic image ofat least a portion of the videoed scene that can then be manipulated bya video/image processor) allows the displayed images to be manipulatedto emphasize or deemphasize selected portions of the videoed sceneand/or selected objects or the like present in the videoed scene.

For example, when the driver is reversing the subject or equippedvehicle into a vacant parking space, video images of objects or othervehicles that are not immediately adjacent the vacant parking place orspace may be deemphasized and/or removed or partially removed (such asby rendering them semi-transparent or mostly transparent and/orreplacing them with avatars or the like). Thus, the driver can readilyfocus on the displayed video images of importance while executing thereversing maneuver. However, should one of the deemphasized or removedobjects move from its parked position (where it was determined to be nothighly relevant to the current reversing maneuver of the subjectvehicle), such movement may render that object or vehicle a moreimportant or relevant or critical item for viewing by the driverexecuting that particular parking maneuver. If so, the moving and nowimportant object or other vehicle (or pedestrian or the like) may beviewed in real-time video (not as an avatar), so as to enhance theviewability and discernibility of the object or other vehicle orpedestrian to the driver of the reversing subject vehicle.

To reproduce the impression of an outside scene the scene's structureand/or general shape may be reproduced and the texture imitated by amapping texture out of a library. The library may contain several kindsof surfaces which may appear in a vehicle's environment. For example,there may be any grains, granularities and colorations of asphalt,gravel, dirt, sand, water surface (puddle), snow, ice interlockingpavement, tiling, boarding, laminate and/or the like. The mappingtexture may have a logical order. The texture which is closest to thatin real at that specific position may be chosen (such as via a texturematching method or protocol that selects the appropriate or “closest”texture for the object to be imaged. To avoid abrupt thresholds intexture there may be just one texture type reproduced in the augmentedview even when different textures are found in the real source image(s)as long as a wide level of similarity is still given. Texture thresholdswhich are really present in nature may be reproduced by two borderlining textures in the augmented view.

Objects on the ground, which are large enough to be perceived andspecified by the cameras, may be reproduced as well. For example, sharpand clean gully covers may be mapped onto the same position (on thefloor) within the augmented view as found in reality, also when thegullies in reality are cracked and dirty. As known, objects such as anadult human, child, bicycle, vehicle, car, truck, policeman on a horse,other animals, such as a cow, cat or dog or the like, a pole, snow pile,parking place markings, a pylon, a construction site boundary or thelike, may be mapped unified into the augmented reality scene. Themapping may be flat or done by using 2D or 3D imposters. Any kind ofbump mapping may become used (such as by utilizing aspects of thesystems described in International Publication Nos. WO 2013/086249,published Jun. 13, 2013, and/or WO 2013/109869, published Jul. 25, 2013,which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties).

When a 3D reconstruction of the real world objects and scene can beachieved, the mapping may be direct to the same structure as the 3Dreconstructed world or the 3D objects may be unified for a certain level(such as when two real vehicles have been detected correctly as vehicles(out of the cameras images), these may be reproduced as two uniformlooking cars or different trucks as uniform trucks, and the like). Theremay be just differences in colors, but these may also be uniformeddepending on the size/number of possible textures and shapes of objectspresent in the library. Unlike in reality, non-transparent objects maybe shown as semi transparent, dotted or dithered to allow to perceivethe scene behind an object (such as shown in FIG. 4, where a portion ofthe vehicle that is ahead of the truck is shown as dashed lines or thelike so as to be “seen” through the truck). Highlighting (such asblinking, flashing, waving, colored, color changing and the like)warning symbols, arrows, tags, POIs and driving tunnels may come intouse as well. The texture library may come with or be part of orincorporated in the automotive vision system, or may be provided by aserver or cloud or the like (whereby the vision system may access theremote server via a telematics system of the vehicle or the like) and/ormay be updated from time to time via remote or by a service device or bydownload or via a cell phone channel.

Thus, the present invention provides a vision system that captures imagedata of a scene exterior (such as forwardly) of the vehicle and providesa display of images indicative of the captured image data. The system ofthe present invention processes the image data and reproduces the imagesas representations of the actual or real objects and scene present inthe field of view of the camera or cameras of the vision system. Thesystem of the present invention thus may provide an enhanced display ofimages in a high resolution manner and may provide enhanced texturingand coloring of the displayed images, while utilizing lower resolutioncameras and/or reduced image processing devices and/or techniques.

The camera or sensor may comprise any suitable camera or sensor.Optionally, the camera may comprise a “smart camera” that includes theimaging sensor array and associated circuitry and image processingcircuitry and electrical connectors and the like as part of a cameramodule, such as by utilizing aspects of the vision systems described inInternational Publication Nos. WO 2013/081984 and/or WO 2013/081985,which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The system includes an image processor operable to process image datacaptured by the camera or cameras, such as for detecting objects orother vehicles or pedestrians or the like in the field of view of one ormore of the cameras. For example, the image processor may comprise anEyeQ2 or EyeQ3 image processing chip available from Mobileye VisionTechnologies Ltd. of Jerusalem, Israel, and may include object detectionsoftware (such as the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,855,755;7,720,580; and/or 7,038,577, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties), and may analyze image data to detectvehicles and/or other objects. Responsive to such image processing, andwhen an object or other vehicle is detected, the system may generate analert to the driver of the vehicle and/or may generate an overlay at thedisplayed image to highlight or enhance display of the detected objector vehicle, in order to enhance the driver's awareness of the detectedobject or vehicle or hazardous condition during a driving maneuver ofthe equipped vehicle.

The vehicle may include any type of sensor or sensors, such as imagingsensors or radar sensors or lidar sensors or ladar sensors or ultrasonicsensors or the like. The imaging sensor or camera may capture image datafor image processing and may comprise any suitable camera or sensingdevice, such as, for example, an array of a plurality of photosensorelements arranged in at least 640 columns and 480 rows (preferably amegapixel imaging array or the like), with a respective lens focusingimages onto respective portions of the array. The photosensor array maycomprise a plurality of photosensor elements arranged in a photosensorarray having rows and columns. The logic and control circuit of theimaging sensor may function in any known manner, and the imageprocessing and algorithmic processing may comprise any suitable meansfor processing the images and/or image data.

For example, the vision system and/or processing and/or camera and/orcircuitry may utilize aspects described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,005,974;5,760,962; 5,877,897; 5,796,094; 5,949,331; 6,222,447; 6,302,545;6,396,397; 6,498,620; 6,523,964; 6,611,202; 6,201,642; 6,690,268;6,717,610; 6,757,109; 6,802,617; 6,806,452; 6,822,563; 6,891,563;6,946,978; 7,859,565; 5,550,677; 5,670,935; 6,636,258; 7,145,519;7,161,616; 7,230,640; 7,248,283; 7,295,229; 7,301,466; 7,592,928;7,881,496; 7,720,580; 7,038,577; 6,882,287; 5,929,786 and/or 5,786,772,and/or International Publication Nos. 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No. 61/807,050, filed Apr. 1, 2013;Ser. No. 61/806,674, filed Mar. 29, 2013; Ser. No. 61/793,592, filedMar. 15, 2013; Ser. No. 61/772,015, filed Mar. 4, 2013; Ser. No.61/772,014, filed Mar. 4, 2013; Ser. No. 61/770,051, filed Feb. 27,2013; Ser. No. 61/770,048, filed Feb. 27, 2013; Ser. No. 61/766,883,filed Feb. 20, 2013; Ser. No. 61/760,366, filed Feb. 4, 2013; Ser. No.61/760,364, filed Feb. 4, 2013; Ser. No. 61/756,832, filed Jan. 25,2013; Ser. No. 61/754,804, filed Jan. 21, 2013; Ser. No. 61/736,104,filed Dec. 12, 2012; Ser. No. 61/736,103, filed Dec. 12, 2012; Ser. No.61/734,457, filed Dec. 7, 2012; Ser. No. 61/733,598, filed Dec. 5, 2012;Ser. No. 61/733,093, filed Dec. 4, 2012; Ser. No. 61/727,911, filed Nov.19, 2012; and/or Ser. No. 61/727,910, filed Nov. 19, 2012, which are allhereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The systemmay communicate with other communication systems via any suitable means,such as by utilizing aspects of the systems described in InternationalPublication Nos. WO/2010/144900; WO 2013/043661 and/or WO 2013/081985,and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/202,005, filed Aug. 17, 2011,now U.S. Pat. No. 9,126,525, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

The imaging device and control and image processor and any associatedillumination source, if applicable, may comprise any suitablecomponents, and may utilize aspects of the cameras and vision systemsdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,677; 5,877,897; 6,498,620; 5,670,935;5,796,094; 6,396,397; 6,806,452; 6,690,268; 7,005,974; 7,123,168;7,004,606; 6,946,978; 7,038,577; 6,353,392; 6,320,176; 6,313,454; and6,824,281, and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/508,840, filedJul. 24, 2009, and published Jan. 28, 2010 as U.S. Pat. Publication No.US 2010-0020170, and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/534,657,filed Jun. 27, 2012, and published Jan. 3, 2013 as U.S. Publication No.US-2013-0002873, and/or International Publication Nos. WO 2010/099416;WO 2011/028686; and/or WO 2013/016409, which are all hereby incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties. The camera or cameras maycomprise any suitable cameras or imaging sensors or camera modules, andmay utilize aspects of the cameras or sensors described in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/091,359, filed Apr. 24, 2008 and published Oct.1, 2009 as U.S. Publication No. US-2009-0244361, and/or Ser. No.13/260,400, filed Sep. 26, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,542,451, and/orU.S. Pat. Nos. 7,965,336 and/or 7,480,149, which are hereby incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties. The imaging array sensor maycomprise any suitable sensor, and may utilize various imaging sensors orimaging array sensors or cameras or the like, such as a CMOS imagingarray sensor, a CCD sensor or other sensors or the like, such as thetypes described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,677; 5,670,935; 5,760,962;5,715,093; 5,877,897; 6,922,292; 6,757,109; 6,717,610; 6,590,719;6,201,642; 6,498,620; 5,796,094; 6,097,023; 6,320,176; 6,559,435;6,831,261; 6,806,452; 6,396,397; 6,822,563; 6,946,978; 7,339,149;7,038,577; 7,004,606; 7,720,580; and/or 7,965,336; and/or PCTApplication No. PCT/US2008/076022, filed Sep. 11, 2008 and publishedMar. 19, 2009 as International Publication No. WO/2009/036176, and/orPCT Application No. PCT/US2008/078700, filed Oct. 3, 2008 and publishedApr. 9, 2009 as International Publication No. WO/2009/046268, which areall hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The camera module and circuit chip or board and imaging sensor may beimplemented and operated in connection with various vehicularvision-based systems, and/or may be operable utilizing the principles ofsuch other vehicular systems, such as a vehicle headlamp control system,such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,796,094; 6,097,023;6,320,176; 6,559,435; 6,831,261; 7,004,606; 7,339,149; and/or 7,526,103,which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties, a rain sensor, such as the types disclosed in commonlyassigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,353,392; 6,313,454; 6,320,176; and/or7,480,149, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties, a vehicle vision system, such as a forwardly, sidewardly orrearwardly directed vehicle vision system utilizing principles disclosedin U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,677; 5,670,935; 5,760,962; 5,877,897; 5,949,331;6,222,447; 6,302,545; 6,396,397; 6,498,620; 6,523,964; 6,611,202;6,201,642; 6,690,268; 6,717,610; 6,757,109; 6,802,617; 6,806,452;6,822,563; 6,891,563; 6,946,978; and/or 7,859,565, which are all herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties, a trailer hitchingaid or tow check system, such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.7,005,974, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety, a reverse or sideward imaging system, such as for a lanechange assistance system or lane departure warning system or for a blindspot or object detection system, such as imaging or detection systems ofthe types disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,720,580; 7,038,577; 5,929,786;5,786,772; and/or 7,881,496, and/or U.S. provisional applications, Ser.No. 60/628,709, filed Nov. 17, 2004; Ser. No. 60/614,644, filed Sep. 30,2004; Ser. No. 60/618,686, filed Oct. 14, 2004; Ser. No. 60/638,687,filed Dec. 23, 2004, which are hereby incorporated herein by referencein their entireties, a video device for internal cabin surveillanceand/or video telephone function, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,760,962; 5,877,897; 6,690,268; and/or 7,370,983, and/or U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/538,724, filed Jun. 13, 2005 and published Mar.9, 2006 as U.S. Publication No. US-2006-0050018, which are herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties, a traffic signrecognition system, a system for determining a distance to a leading ortrailing vehicle or object, such as a system utilizing the principlesdisclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,396,397 and/or 7,123,168, which are herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties, and/or the like.

Optionally, the circuit board or chip may include circuitry for theimaging array sensor and or other electronic accessories or features,such as by utilizing compass-on-a-chip or EC driver-on-a-chip technologyand aspects such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,255,451 and/or U.S.Pat. No. 7,480,149; and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/226,628,filed Sep. 14, 2005 and published Mar. 23, 2006 as U.S. Publication No.US-2006-0061008, and/or Ser. No. 12/578,732, filed Oct. 14, 2009, nowU.S. Pat. No. 9,487,144, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

Optionally, the vision system may include a display for displayingimages captured by one or more of the imaging sensors for viewing by thedriver of the vehicle while the driver is normally operating thevehicle. Optionally, for example, the vision system may include a videodisplay device disposed at or in the interior rearview mirror assemblyof the vehicle, such as by utilizing aspects of the video mirror displaysystems described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,690,268 and/or U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/333,337, filed Dec. 21, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No.9,264,672, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties. The video mirror display may comprise any suitable devicesand systems and optionally may utilize aspects of the compass displaysystems described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,370,983; 7,329,013; 7,308,341;7,289,037; 7,249,860; 7,004,593; 4,546,551; 5,699,044; 4,953,305;5,576,687; 5,632,092; 5,677,851; 5,708,410; 5,737,226; 5,802,727;5,878,370; 6,087,953; 6,173,508; 6,222,460; 6,513,252; and/or 6,642,851,and/or European patent application, published Oct. 11, 2000 underPublication No. EP 0 1043566, and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/226,628, filed Sep. 14, 2005 and published Mar. 23, 2006 as U.S.Publication No. US-2006-0061008, which are all hereby incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties. Optionally, the video mirrordisplay screen or device may be operable to display images captured by arearward viewing camera of the vehicle during a reversing maneuver ofthe vehicle (such as responsive to the vehicle gear actuator beingplaced in a reverse gear position or the like) to assist the driver inbacking up the vehicle, and optionally may be operable to display thecompass heading or directional heading character or icon when thevehicle is not undertaking a reversing maneuver, such as when thevehicle is being driven in a forward direction along a road (such as byutilizing aspects of the display system described in PCT Application No.PCT/US2011/056295, filed Oct. 14, 2011 and published Apr. 19, 2012 asInternational Publication No. WO 2012/051500, which is herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety).

Optionally, the vision system (utilizing the forward facing camera and arearward facing camera and other cameras disposed at the vehicle withexterior fields of view) may be part of or may provide a display of atop-down view or birds-eye view system of the vehicle or a surround viewat the vehicle, such as by utilizing aspects of the vision systemsdescribed International Publication Nos. WO 2010/099416; WO 2011/028686;WO 2012/075250; WO 2013/019795; WO 2012/075250; WO 2012/145822; WO2013/081985; WO 2013/086249; and/or WO 2013/109869, and/or U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/333,337, filed Dec. 21, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No.9,264,672, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

Optionally, a video mirror display may be disposed rearward of andbehind the reflective element assembly and may comprise a display suchas the types disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,530,240; 6,329,925;7,855,755; 7,626,749; 7,581,859; 7,446,650; 7,370,983; 7,338,177;7,274,501; 7,255,451; 7,195,381; 7,184,190; 5,668,663; 5,724,187 and/or6,690,268, and/or in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/226,628, filedSep. 14, 2005 and published Mar. 23, 2006 as U.S. Publication No.US-2006-0061008; and/or Ser. No. 10/538,724, filed Jun. 13, 2005 andpublished Mar. 9, 2006 as U.S. Publication No. US-2006-0050018, whichare all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Thedisplay is viewable through the reflective element when the display isactivated to display information. The display element may be any type ofdisplay element, such as a vacuum fluorescent (VF) display element, alight emitting diode (LED) display element, such as an organic lightemitting diode (OLED) or an inorganic light emitting diode, anelectroluminescent (EL) display element, a liquid crystal display (LCD)element, a video screen display element or backlit thin film transistor(TFT) display element or the like, and may be operable to displayvarious information (as discrete characters, icons or the like, or in amulti-pixel manner) to the driver of the vehicle, such as passenger sideinflatable restraint (PSIR) information, tire pressure status, and/orthe like. The mirror assembly and/or display may utilize aspectsdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,184,190; 7,255,451; 7,446,924 and/or7,338,177, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference intheir entireties. The thicknesses and materials of the coatings on thesubstrates of the reflective element may be selected to provide adesired color or tint to the mirror reflective element, such as a bluecolored reflector, such as is known in the art and such as described inU.S. Pat. Nos. 5,910,854; 6,420,036; and/or 7,274,501, which are herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Optionally, the display or displays and any associated user inputs maybe associated with various accessories or systems, such as, for example,a tire pressure monitoring system or a passenger air bag status or agarage door opening system or a telematics system or any other accessoryor system of the mirror assembly or of the vehicle or of an accessorymodule or console of the vehicle, such as an accessory module or consoleof the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,289,037; 6,877,888;6,824,281; 6,690,268; 6,672,744; 6,386,742; and 6,124,886, and/or U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/538,724, filed Jun. 13, 2005 andpublished Mar. 9, 2006 as U.S. Publication No. US-2006-0050018, whichare hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

While the above description constitutes a plurality of embodiments ofthe present invention, it will be appreciated that the present inventionis susceptible to further modification and change without departing fromthe fair meaning of the accompanying claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A vision system for a vehicle, said visionsystem comprising: at least one image sensor disposed at a subjectvehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle; wherein saidat least one image sensor comprises a forward facing camera disposed atthe subject vehicle; an image processor operable to process image datacaptured by said at least one image sensor; a control, wherein saidcontrol, at least in part responsive to processing of captured imagedata by said image processor, is operable to generate an avatarrepresentative of at least one object or scene segment in the field ofview of said at least one image sensor; a display for displaying imagesindicative of captured image data and for displaying the avatar forviewing by a driver of the subject vehicle; wherein said vision systemis operable to display an avatar that is a representation of an objectthat is only partially viewed by said image sensor to enhance thedisplay for viewing and understanding by the driver of the subjectvehicle; and wherein said control generates the avatar so that a portionof the displayed avatar representing a portion of the object isdisplayed in phantom to represent that viewing of that portion of theobject by said image sensor is partially obstructed.
 2. The visionsystem of claim 1, wherein said control provides an enhanced display ofimages in a high resolution manner when utilized with lower resolutioncameras and reduced image processing.
 3. The vision system of claim 1,wherein said control generates the avatar with an imitated texture. 4.The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control is operable todetermine objects at least partially present in the field of view ofsaid image sensor and wherein said control is operable to deemphasizeobjects that are determined to be less important to the driver of thevehicle during a driving maneuver.
 5. The vision system of claim 4,wherein said control deemphasizes an object by partially removing theobject from the displayed image.
 6. The vision system of claim 4,wherein said control deemphasizes an object by displaying the object inphantom in the displayed image.
 7. A vision system for a vehicle, saidvision system comprising: at least one image sensor disposed at asubject vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle;wherein said at least one image sensor comprises a forward facing cameradisposed at the subject vehicle; an image processor operable to processimage data captured by said at least one image sensor; a control,wherein said control, at least in part responsive to processing ofcaptured image data by said image processor, is operable to generate anavatar representative of at least one object or scene segment in thefield of view of said at least one image sensor; a display fordisplaying images indicative of captured image data and for displayingthe avatar for viewing by a driver of the subject vehicle; wherein saidvision system is operable to display an avatar that is a representationof an object that is only partially viewed by said image sensor toenhance the display for viewing and understanding by the driver of thesubject vehicle; and wherein said control generates the avatar so that aportion of the displayed avatar representing a portion of the object isdisplayed in phantom to represent that the portion of the object isoutside of the field of view of said image sensor.
 8. The vision systemof claim 7, wherein said control provides an enhanced display of imagesin a high resolution manner when utilized with lower resolution camerasand reduced image processing.
 9. The vision system of claim 7, whereinsaid control generates the avatar with an imitated texture.
 10. Thevision system of claim 7, wherein said control is operable to determineobjects at least partially present in the field of view of said imagesensor and wherein said control is operable to deemphasize objects thatare determined to be less important to the driver of the vehicle duringa driving maneuver.
 11. The vision system of claim 10, wherein saidcontrol deemphasizes an object by partially removing the object from thedisplayed image.
 12. The vision system of claim 10, wherein said controldeemphasizes an object by displaying the object in phantom in thedisplayed image.
 13. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision systemcomprising: at least one image sensor disposed at a subject vehicle andhaving a field of view exterior of the vehicle; wherein said at leastone image sensor comprises a forward facing camera disposed at thesubject vehicle; an image processor operable to process image datacaptured by said at least one image sensor; a control, wherein saidcontrol, at least in part responsive to processing of captured imagedata by said image processor, is operable to generate an avatarrepresentative of at least one object or scene segment in the field ofview of said at least one image sensor; a display for displaying imagesindicative of captured image data and for displaying the avatar forviewing by a driver of the subject vehicle; wherein said vision systemis operable to display an avatar that is a representation of an objectthat is only partially viewed by said image sensor to enhance thedisplay for viewing and understanding by the driver of the subjectvehicle; and wherein said control generates the avatar so that a portionof the displayed avatar representing a portion of the object isdisplayed in phantom to represent that viewing of that portion of theobject by said image sensor is partially obstructed.
 14. The visionsystem of claim 13, wherein said control generates the avatar with animitated texture.
 15. The vision system of claim 13, wherein saidcontrol is operable to determine objects at least partially present inthe field of view of said image sensor and wherein said control isoperable to deemphasize objects that are determined to be less importantto the driver of the vehicle during a driving maneuver.
 16. The visionsystem of claim 15, wherein said control deemphasizes an object bypartially removing the object from the displayed image.
 17. The visionsystem of claim 15, wherein said control deemphasizes an object bydisplaying the object in phantom in the displayed image.
 18. The visionsystem of claim 13, wherein said control provides an enhanced display ofimages in a high resolution manner when utilized with lower resolutioncameras and reduced image processing.
 19. A vision system for a vehicle,said vision system comprising: at least one image sensor disposed at asubject vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle;wherein said at least one image sensor comprises a forward facing cameradisposed at the subject vehicle; an image processor operable to processimage data captured by said at least one image sensor; a control,wherein said control, at least in part responsive to processing ofcaptured image data by said image processor, is operable to generate anavatar representative of at least one object or scene segment in thefield of view of said at least one image sensor; a display fordisplaying images indicative of captured image data and for displayingthe avatar for viewing by a driver of the subject vehicle; wherein saidvision system is operable to display an avatar that is a representationof an object that is only partially viewed by said image sensor toenhance the display for viewing and understanding by the driver of thesubject vehicle; and wherein said control generates the avatar so that aportion of the displayed avatar representing a portion of the object isdisplayed in phantom to represent that the portion of the object isoutside of the field of view of said image sensor.
 20. The vision systemof claim 19, wherein said control generates the avatar with an imitatedtexture.
 21. The vision system of claim 19, wherein said control isoperable to determine objects at least partially present in the field ofview of said image sensor and wherein said control is operable todeemphasize objects that are determined to be less important to thedriver of the vehicle during a driving maneuver.
 22. The vision systemof claim 21, wherein said control deemphasizes an object by partiallyremoving the object from the displayed image.
 23. The vision system ofclaim 21, wherein said control deemphasizes an object by displaying theobject in phantom in the displayed image.
 24. The vision system of claim19, wherein said control provides an enhanced display of images in ahigh resolution manner when utilized with lower resolution cameras andreduced image processing.